| <No.719> |
| South Koreans Hopeful in Wake of Denuclearization Summit |
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From that historic step across the border, marking the first time a North Korean leader had ever entered South Korean territory, to the jovial moment when Kim Jong Un invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to step back over the border into the North, to the animated conversation the two leaders had as they sat alone for 30 minutes, to the joint declaration proclaiming that a new era of peace has begun, the inter-Korean summit has left many in Seoul feeling hopeful about the future.
"I was very thrilled while watching it.
It was a time that gave me hope that unification may come very soon."
To many viewing the summit the young North Korean leader also came across as more reasonable and open to change, than the authoritarian figure who in the past had repeatedly threatened to launch nuclear strikes against his enemies.
At the summit, Kim agreed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has unilaterally suspended nuclear and missile tests, and officials in Seoul said Pyongyang would invite international experts and journalists to witness the closing of the country’s nuclear test site in May.
Following the summit, President Moon’s approval rating increased to over 70 percent.
Many conservative voters who did not support the liberal president now give him credit for persistently pursuing diplomatic engagement.
The joint denuclearization declaration, however, is just the beginning of the negotiation process.
Next up, the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim that is expected to take place before July.
While the Trump administration has been supportive of the progress made so far, it wants to see irreversible reductions in the North’s nuclear program before agreeing to reduce economic sanctions.
Brian Padden, VOA News, Seoul |
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